Audit Service plans with Eastern Region

The Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL) held fruitful citizen engagements with key stakeholders in Kono and Kenema districts. These engagements were held on the 17th and 19th April, 2024 respectively in both districts.

This engagement is part of the World Bank’s support to the ASSL through the Accountable Governance for Basic Service Delivery project.

To enhance inclusive participation, stakeholders were drawn from all sectors including paramount chiefs, councilors, civil society organisations, media, youths, schools, women groups, bike riders, representatives from Ataya Bases and persons with disabilities.

Jonathan Teckham, head of the Eastern Region Division of the ASSL noted that the ASSL is keen on service delivery, the reason they are engaging stakeholders who are knowledgeable about the issues that affect them. He informed participants that local council audits will soon commence, and urged them to serve as whistle-blowers because the issues they would be looking at, impact their lives.

Paramount Chiefs in these regions appreciate the effort of the ASSL to involve the locals in meetings of such nature and lauded the reports produced over the years by the Auditor-General, to ensure accountability in governance.

In Kono, Paramount Chief Sahr Edward Mbawa of Gbani Kandor Chiefdom called for the establishment of an Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL) office in Kono District.

The participants highlighted cross-cutting audit issues of concern for effective service delivery in local councils, ranging from health; the timely supply of essential drugs, effective ambulance services and general hospital management. In the area of Agriculture, they called for the timely supply of seedlings, fertilizers and the equal distribution of tractors to farmers. They also raised issues of timely allocation of school fees subsidies and pin codes for teachers and nurses.